1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to games of toss and in particular to games of toss which utilize a target. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a game of toss utilizing a resilient game target which reflects a thrown game piece in a highly unpredictable manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Games of toss involving targets and thrown game pieces are well known and numerous in the prior art. Many such games are predicated upon skill and hand-eye coordination and the intentional placement of game pieces within specific areas of a game target. For example, darts, quoits, and other similar games enjoy vast popularity throughout the civilized world.
Similarly, selected games are well known in which the action of the game piece, once tossed, is relatively unpredictable. For example, games such as pin-ball, pachinko and roulette enjoy great popularity despite the absolute inability of the player to accurately predict the flight of the game piece.
Numerous examples of such games exist within the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 713,704 discloses a parlor game having a target furnished with variously colored spaces set about with concentric rows of spikes wherein the spikes are arranged so as to retain any of a series of similarly colored elastic balls which may be thrown or bounded between the spikes. U.S. Pat. No. 659,352 discloses a similar game of toss in which the target includes a series of pegs which may serve to retain circular game pieces which are tossed at the target.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,092,162, issued to E. B. Hiatt on Sep. 7, 1937 discloses a game of amusement in which balls are thrown at a target wherein the target includes a plurality of wedge-shaped receiving points which are slightly resilient and inclined such that a ball or game piece tossed at the target will be wedged between adjacent pegs and retained in the position in which the ball strikes the target. In this manner, the score associated with a particular ball thrown at the target may be readily determined as the ball will be retained between adjacent resilient spikes.
In view of the above, it should be apparent to the reader that games of toss and/or skill are widely accepted in American homes and serve to amuse both player and the observer of such games.